Founding Elders: Iys, Evanda, Roo Sr., Terel. FOXLAIR HOUSEHOLD
Founding Economics: Leathers (Evanda), leatherworking (Donn), clothing design and construction; premiere horsebreeders and trainers (Iys, others). Others ???
Founding Population:
Elves: Evanda, Iys
Humans: Roo Sr. = Terel (1st gen); Donn = Nella (2nd gen); Rey, Roo Jr., Hejong, Kim, Mija (3rd gen.) Others TBD.HOUSEHOLD LAYOUT: The Foxlair Tree, a large, ancient sycamore with a hollow in the trunk that had once been a fox's den, stands in the central courtyard of Foxlair House, which is built primarily of wood & stone construction. The interior rooms of the house have individual doors that open onto the courtyard, which is surrounded by a wooden porch with an shade overhang. The courtyard is a gathering place, a play place for the children, a place for celebrations, parties, and friendly gatherings. Flower gardens are planted there in the spring. The house is a pentagon in shape, the long hallways lined by the inner courtyard rooms and outer rim rooms.
On the exterior grounds is a hay barn; chicken coop; rabbit hutches; tack barn with several box stalls; several stock pens for sheep & goat herd (small); work corrals, and a large working corral. Enclosed areas have both or either fences built out of wooden supports and fences of living hedges. Vegetable garden, herb garden. Grass fields. As the population of New Hope grows, perhaps small-scale agriculture is added, as there is more space in the Foxlair area.
ACTIVITIES:
HUNTING: Always done by some of the Foxlair inhabitants: Evanda and Iys both hawkriders in the early years of New Hope; Evanda does not bond with a second hawk after her first dies, but continues as a horseback hunter until her death during the Hostage Crisis. Rey develops a pack of hunting dogs, both to retrieve game and to safeguard herd animals, that continues as a Foxlair tradition.
LIVESTOCK: Horses are primary livestock creature. Iys, Roo Sr., Evanda are the founding primary breeders, along with Roo Jr., Rey, and Donn; Midnight takes over after the hostage crisis. Also, small herd of goats and sheep, kept for meat, wool, and milk. Hejong is the founding household shepherdess. Mija began the breeding of rabbits. In addition to beginning the dog pack, Rey began work at domesticating wild cattle. The original humans included several members of Tiirz's and Dijin's cults, a number from Nez's Harvesters, and, in the next generation, a goodly portion of the Ax clan of the Tribe Without Name joined the Foxlair Household, headed by clan Matriarch Ax III, with her husband, Galen Fire.
BARTER GOODS: Horses, training (horse and/or rider), stallion services. Results from hunting, skins and meat from rabbits, sheep and goats. Iys's clothing designs/commissions (for how long?); leather goods (boxes, saddlery, boots, etc. etc. etc., initially done by Evanda and Donn, and later it becomes a regular Household talent), and glassblowing (Leril, second son of Ax IV, apprentices to (??) Risingmist to learn glassmaking, and later takes apprentices of his own to make glassblowing another Household talent). After Midnight arrives, horsehair ornaments, brushes, etc., and beadwork. Beads are made of clay, glass, wood, and bone, right in the household.
HORSES:
Foundation stock: Demon and Ruffian (stallions); Whitelock, Sunsides, Scamper, Vixen, and Seafoam (mares).
Foxlair horses originated out of the horses bred by Dijin's cult, with some infusions of blood from Plains Hunter stallions and possibly some Shigyeveth horses. There are two main breeds. The first is a small (12 hands) compact horse which is used mainly for herding and as mounts for the border scouts. They are bred for intelligence, endurance, and agility; they have strong quarters and are noted for their ability to turn quickly in a small space. They resemble a cross between a Mongolian pony and a mustang in general appearence.
A larger, heavier (14-15 hands) horse is bred for draft purposes and for those humans to ride who are too tall for the smaller horses. They are used for some plowing and carting. It is possible that an even larger draft horse may develop in the future, or this function may fall out of favor if oxen become more available. They look basically like scaled-up versions of the smaller breed, but are beginning to develop some distinctive traits of their own after several hundred years of breeding. They tend to have longer, less "fuzzy" manes and tails than the smaller breed, and their coloring is far less variable due to more inbreeding.
Both breeds are rough-coated, with rather fuzzy manes and tails and large, "cold-blooded" heads. The commonest colors are brown, dun and grey, but black, white, red or blue roan, chestnut, bay, or piebald horses are not unknown. Appaloosa-type spots (blankets or leopard spots, etc.) are quite rare, as are palominos. Stripes on the legs or along the back (as is often found in dun horses even today) are relatively common; this is the most "primitive" type of horse coloring. Stars, snips, blazes, socks and stockings of white are also quite common. The draft breed tends toward brown, bay, chestnut, and dun, often with white socks and blazes. While individuals may find certain colors attractive and breed for them, there has been no concerted attempt to create a standard color for the breed--"A good horse is a good color."
Though individuals often get up horse races for fun or as part of the summer games, there has been no push as yet to develop a racing breed at New Hope. (At Tower Mountain the elves have the leisure to breed such an animal and it may turn out to be a 4th mil fad.)
Weak necks, backs or quarters have been discouraged, as have ill-natured or too high-strung temperments. Foxlair has no qualms about gelding inferior stallions, and mares deemed unsuitable for breeding will be traded off (always with the knowledge between both parties this is not a superior horse -- no nasty horse trading allowed, at least when it comes to horses!), offered to the Plains Hunters, given away free (to anyone else who might be interested), or just plain set free on the plains or fed to the hawks. (Fed to the hawks!!! Wait a minute!!!) The best of Foxlair's breeding stock are highly prized and protected like children.
All young horses are taught on the hackamore (unless temperament demands otherwise). If intended as mounts for the scouts, they may be taught to jump (contrary to common opinion, jumping obstacles is not natural behavior for a horse) and taught to respond to seat, leg and voice aids. Other tricks, such as some dressage, stock maneuvers, etc., taught on a personality-ability basis.
Variations of equestrian sports such as polo, baz-kiri, tentpegging/jousting, and some gymkhana and rodeo sports in the works.
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